Wave Wire Services
MEMPHIS, Tennessee – The family of a Black man who died after a vicious beating by police has removed five former officers from a $550 million civil lawsuit — a move that reportedly is aimed at avoiding long delays before trial and keeping the case moving forward.
Court records show Tyre Nichols’ mother, Row Vaughn Wells, filed to dismiss Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith from the lawsuit.
According to CBS affiliate WREG, Wells said the decision was made to help keep the Nov. 9 trial date on schedule. She also said continuing with all defendants could stretch the case out for years.
Documents also indicate that Wells is in the process of removing Memphis Police Chief C.J.Davis from the civil suit. The original lawsuit, filed in April 2023, targeted the city of Memphis along with several current and former city officials and employees.
The city of Memphis previously argued that the $550 million claim could place major financial pressure on the city. Officials pointed to the $27 million settlement in the George Floyd case as a benchmark for how large police-related payouts can become.
Attorney John Keith Perry, who represents former officer Tadarrius Bean, said a federal court dismissed the claims against his client. He added that Bean was cleared in both criminal and civil proceedings and is now focused on restoring his reputation following the 2023 incident.
On Jan. 7, 2023, officers reportedly yanked Nichols, 29, from his car during a traffic stop and hit him with pepper-spray and a Taser. Nichols fled, and when the five officers, all Black, caught up, they punched, kicked and hit him with a police baton. Nichols called out for his mother during the beating, which took place steps from his home.
He died in a hospital three days later.
Video of the beating captured by a police pole camera also showed the officers milling about, talking and laughing as Nichols struggled with his injuries. It prompted intense scrutiny of police in Memphis, nationwide protests and renewed calls for police reform.
Three of the former officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith, were previously tried in state court in connection with Nichols death and were acquitted. Two other officers involved in the beating pleaded guilty and avoided trial.
